Gainesville Police say they arrested wrong people in carjacking

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WOGX FOX 51) - Gainesville police officers arrested 18-year-olds Corey Jamaal Daniels and Wanya Deon Smith earlier this week, accused of carjacking and conspiracy. Investigators said they jumped a woman at her apartment complex, knocking her to the ground, breaking her bones, then stealing her car.

Daniels and Smith were taken into custody though, after officers wrongly arrested two other men, Antonio Roberts and James Nelson.

Police -- never happy to make a blunder like this -- issued a statement, which read, "This was not a haphazard act. The arrests were made after witness interviews, coupled with nelson and Roberts’ own actions, indicated that in all probability, we had the right guys."

Police said after arresting Nelson and Roberts, someone tipped them off that Smith and Daniels had actually done the alleged crime. Police said once they verified this, "GPD expeditiously moved to secure Nelson and Roberts’ immediate release from jail."

Roberts and Nelson are now free men, while Smith and Daniels remain at the Alachua County Jail.